Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Bougainvillea spectabilis cultivar Vera Lynn.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bougainvillea plant, botanically known as Bougainvillea spectrabilis, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Vera Lynnxe2x80x99.
The new Bougainvillea is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Bougainvillea spectabilis cultivar Vera Deep Purple, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,950. The new Bougainvillea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Vera Deep Purple in a controlled environment in Schipluiden, The Netherlands in July, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings at Schipluiden, The Netherlands since Fall, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Bougainvillea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Vera Lynn have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Vera Lynnxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Vera Lynnxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright, outwardly spreading and compact growth habit.
2. Thornless stems.
3. Roughly spherical inflorescences with numerous flowers.
4. Pink-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Bougainvillea differ from plants of the parent cultivar, Vera Deep Purple, primarily in flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar Vera Deep Purple have purple-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Bougainvillea differ from plants of the cultivar Vera Pink, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/805,578 filed concurrently, primarily in flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar Vera Pink have lighter pink-colored flower bracts than plants of the new Bougainvillea. 